Forbidden
by Angela 93
Summary: REWRITE OF UNNAMED! Bella was alone in her room after they left, when she hears the familliar purr of a sports car engine. Her life is about to be changed yet again. Question is, it the change for better or for worse?
1. Chapter 1

**So, as you may have noticed, it's been a **_**really**_** long time since I've updated anything…and I'm sorry. There was a lot of crap happening in my life, and I lost focus of the important things. I pretty much had to get my life back on track… which I'm still in the process of doing. Updates will be scattered, and I'm sorry about that.**

**Slash, if you're wondering about why I'm reposting from chapter one, it's because I'm not satisfied with the story, so I'm making some minor changes. **

**Thank you to my Beta, Dazzle Me Again, for all of your work! You are a LIFE SAVER!**

*******

_Chapter One: Fully Alive_

It had been three months since _he _had left. I hadn't been able to do much since then. I usually just sat in my room and stared at the wall blankly—that was in my free time, I kept going to school every day, ate (just enough to keep me alive), (barely) slept, smiled (only to appease Charlie). Everything I did, I did without noticing my surroundings. I used to be a very observant person, but lately, I haven't seen anything that could hold my attention for more than a few seconds. Things just _blurred _together, just passed by without making any impact in my life. But tonight, things were a bit clearer, as if someone had turned the light-switch on. Earlier, I had noticed the way that the snow looked as it fell, how it sparkled when the light hit it just right. I sighed, thinking about the way that _their_ skin sparkled in the sunlight. _Don't go there, Bella_, I warned myself.

Suddenly, I heard the soft purr of a sports car's engine. I got up from my desk chair and walked to my window to take a closer look, making sure that I wasn't hallucinating—that this wasn't just one of the dreams I'd been having since he left. Nobody in town owned a sports car—at least, not anymore. The only people who had owned fancy cars in this town were gone—they hadn't lived here for three months. Looking closer, I saw a silver Volvo and I gasped. It was _his_ car. I flew out of my room, and ran down the stairs to the front door.

"Bella, is everything okay?" I heard Charlie call from the living room, concern heavy in his voice. Obviously, my sudden transformation from 'zombie' to a fully alive and functioning person shocked him. Hell, _I_ would have been shocked as well if my child, who had been in a waking coma for the past few months, suddenly displayed signs of life. I didn't grace Charlie with a response, as I was already out the door.

I rushed over to the Volvo, miraculously not falling on my butt in the process. I was hoping that he would at least say hi; even give me a kiss on the forehead—_don't get your hopes up, Bella_. When I got to the car, I peered through the heavily tinted windows, and saw something completely unexpected. There was a Cullen sitting in the car, but it wasn't the Cullen I was hoping to see—it wasn't Edward. This Cullen had blond hair, and was quite tall. This was the Cullen who had almost killed me three months ago. And, heck, he wasn't even known by Cullen in this small town. Jasper Hale was sitting on the road at the end of my driveway, driving my lost love's car.

"Hello, Bella, how are you tonight?" he asked, and I could barely hear the southern accent in his voice as get got off the car.


	2. Chapter 2

_PREVIOUSLY: __"Hello, Bella, how are you tonight?" he asked, and I could barely hear the southern accent in his voice as get got off the car._

***

**Thank you to my Beta, Dazzle Me Again, for do this for me. **

***

_Chapter Two: Unexpected_

I stared in shock at Jasper. It just seemed so odd and, well, unexpected that he would take the time to come and see me, given that I hadn't had much of a relationship with him in the almost year I'd known him.

"J-Jasper? What are you doing here?" I asked—I was incredibly confused. Why was he here? Why now? Why him and not Edward? Why alone? Questions—mostly 'why's kept popping in my head as just like popcorn. I felt my mind trying to retreat back into itself. The odd thing was I didn't want to. I _wouldn't __let_ myself go back to that hollow shell I had been before. Not anymore.

"I had to make sure you were alright, Bella. After the..." he hesitated for a moment, "incident, I've felt positively horrendous. You could almost say it been keeping me up at night." He chuckled softly at his own joke, I didn't laugh—I hadn't done that in so long I had almost forgotten how it felt. After his attempt at making a joke, silence fell between us. It wasn't uncomfortable, but rather very secure... friendly almost.

But suddenly, just like confusion had filled my mind with every 'why's I could possibly think of, I was filled with a sense of dread. What if Jasper was only staying for a minute? What were his plans? I just _knew_ I wasn't going to survive if he just left as suddenly as he arrived. I couldn't let the world—the people—I'd missed so much in these three months slip away just like that. Jasper must have felt my worry, because instantly I felt a sense of calm wash over me. "What's wrong, Bella?" he asked, with a concerned expression on his face.

"It's just that... well, since your family left, I've been just…" I was about to say 'empty', but I stopped myself "…not myself." In that moment, my shoe-less feet were incredibly interesting. _Not_. I just couldn't see his eyes when he told me he was leaving just as quickly as he had come.

"Bella, I will stay in Forks, but I don't know if I can stay at your house. You know I have problems with my control…" he trailed off and I looked up, both of us remembering the incident three months ago.

"Jasper, you know I don't blame you. It was an accident. It could have been anyone to make the first jump. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault." I punctuated each word for added effect, especially on the 'not'.

Jasper gently grabbed my arms, and held onto me. "Don't you understand? I could lose control while you're asleep, and kill you; or worse, I could change you unintentionally—if I was able to stop drinking your blood, that is.

"Bella, you're not safe around me. Nobody is. It's entirely my fault that Edward—" I winced, "—made the family leave Forks. I'm really sorry, but I can't stay here tonight. I know that there are still clothes for all of us at the other house. Just let me stay there, please." I could feel the guilt rolling off of him, though I didn't think he was intentionally making me feel guilty.

"Jasper, you're making me feel guilty, like it was my fault that you left," I immediately felt the guilt disappear, "and, besides, I believe you can control yourself for a few hours. You're strong enough."

He sighed, and I knew that I had won for now. "Okay, I'll try for you, Bella." Then he did something I didn't expect—he pulled me in for a hug. I felt his nose trace along my collarbone as he turned his head, and I stiffened. Jasper didn't notice my fear, and put his nose right against my neck, taking a large breath. I felt his tongue lick my neck, then his lips against my skin. I felt his lips start to part, but was too terrified to even say his name. This was the end. He would lose control like he said he might, and kill me. Just a moment later, he let go of me, and pulled back to the car.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to… Oh no, I didn't hurt you, did I? Oh, God—" I cut him off there.

"Jasper, you didn't hurt me, you just... scared me a bit—again, not your fault. Besides, you didn't break skin, so I'm fine. _And_ the fact that you were able to pull away means you _are_ strong enough to stay the night. So, why don't you go back to the other house and get some clothes? I'll ask Charlie if you can spend the night, but his answer doesn't matter. If you hear me talking to him, that means he has said yes, but if not, then come in through my window. It'll be open and I'll be sitting on my bed. By the way, where's Alice? Why didn't she come along as well?" I asked, curious.

"She wanted to stay behind, and make sure that Edward didn't find out about me coming... he would tear our heads off if he knew. The cover is that I'm going up to Canada for a hunt, and won't be back for a few weeks. Only Alice really knows where I am, and I trust that she is able to block her mind from my dear brother quite well. Anyway, I'll go and get some clothes, and be back in a few." Then he got into the car, revved the engine and I was left standing in the snow.

I walked inside, taking as little time as I could. I tried running, but my klutziness had returned, and I fell on my butt. I walked inside, and went to go and ask Charlie if Jasper could stay the night.

"Ch—uh, Dad? Can a friend stay the night?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, ah, yeah," his voice sounded amazed. "Sure, anybody can stay the night, so long as it's not that damned Cullen boy—" I winced. I already knew how Charlie felt about... _him_, not because we talked about it often, or at all. "...If he walks through that door again, I'll personally kill him for what he did to you."

"Dad, what about one of his siblings? Could one of them stay the night?"

"Which one?" he asked and his voice sounded apprehensive now. I figured I had about three minutes before Jasper returned.

"Umm, Jasper Hale. He popped into town unexpectedly, and has no place to stay."

"No. You can't have any boys stay here. You're just starting to mend, Bells, I don't want you to be hurt by this boy as well."

"Dad, Jasper's with Alice, remember? I asked him about that already, and he said that she knew what he was doing. He felt the need to make sure I was all right after... Edward... left, and told Alice that he would be back in a few days."

"I said no, Bella. You know that the loyalties of a boy can change in a heartbeat. Look at what happened to you. I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"Fine. I'm going up to my room. I'll call his cell and tell him he can't stay over." I marched up to my room, and slammed open the window. Then I picked up the phone, and fake-called his cell. I went through the motions of calling him, because I knew Charlie would be making sure that I had actually made the call.

When I was finished with that, I sat down on my bed, and waited. I didn't have to sit there long; because Jasper was coming through the window within the minute I entered my room.

"So I guess your dad doesn't approve of the Cullens anymore," he joked.

"I guess not," I sighed, knowing that having Jasper stay over was a bad idea. I thought back to the incident outside, and wondered if Jasper would be able to pull away the next time he lost control, or if he would accidentally kill me.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Jasper asked.

"Nothing really. Just thinking about what would happen if you were to lose control again."

"Bella, I won't lose control around you again, I promise." As if to prove his point, he pulled me into another hug, and smelled my neck. I tensed as I felt his tongue on my neck again, but I heard him chuckle. "Don't worry, I'm in control. Your skin does taste amazing, though. I couldn't resist another taste." He chuckled again, and licked my neck again. I was petrified. I knew Jasper had a hard time with control, and he was _licking_ my neck. There was no way this was his normal behaviour. What the hell was happening?

"Jasper, why are you licking my neck?" I managed to ask.

"I'm not sure. I…I can't help myself," he pulled away from me a little, and I felt a sense of calm wash over me. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I keep doing that," I was sure that if he could, he would blush.

"Can we please limit ourselves to hugs?"

"Yes, we can. Now, why don't you get yourself ready for bed, and get some sleep. There is school tomorrow." I moved away from Jasper, and went to get on my PJs in the bathroom. Once I was back, I saw Jasper sitting on the rocking chair _he_ used to sit on. I had to admit it was a little weird. I smiled at him regardless, and I crawled into bed. Not long after that, I fell into a peaceful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, I thank my beta Dazzle Me Again! **

**Thanks for your reviews, guys! They really keep a writer motivated! **

**DISCLAIMER FOR THE ENTIRE STORY: I do not, and never will, own any of the rights to the **_**Twilight**_** Saga.**

***

_Previously: __I smiled at him regardless, and I crawled into bed. Not long after that, I fell into a peaceful sleep._

***

_Chapter Three: Lies and Deceit_

I woke up thinking that the previous night had been all a dream. I remembered Jasper coming unexpectedly, and me begging him to stay, but I wasn't sure if I had been conscious for all of that. I sat up slowly, and glanced around my room looking for some sign that Jasper had really been here—I found none. Disappointed, I got up, stretched my limbs, and started to make my bed. While straightening my pillow, I found an envelope addressed to me in fancy script. I opened it, and in a small piece of paper it read;

_Bella,_

_I'm sorry I left, but I needed to hunt._

_If I'm not back before you awaken, then I'm sorry._

_I should be back soon._

_Yours truly, Jasper._

I was instantly calmed, as if Jasper had used his ability on me. Once again, he had inadvertently confirmed my sanity. I looked at the clock and saw it was seven-thirty in the morning.

"Crap," I muttered. I had to get ready for school. I pulled the first clothes I could find out of my closet, and threw them over my arm. Next I grabbed my bag of toiletries, and ran to the communal bathroom. I jumped in the shower, and quickly washed my hair. When I got out, I dried myself off, and threw on the clothing. I brushed and blow-dried my hair, and brushed my teeth. I hurried back to my room to put away my bag, and then went downstairs to get something to eat before I left for school. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw none other than Jasper sitting at my kitchen table.

"Damn it, Jasper," I said, startled. I started to walk over to the cupboard so I could grab a Pop-Tart.

"Did I scare you?" he chuckled.

"Why don't you tell me?" I shot back at him playfully. He laughed, and sent a wave of calm at me, trying to make me more civil. "Thanks," I muttered, knowing that he would hear me. "You do realize that I have to go to school, don't you?" I asked.

"Yes, and I took the liberty of registering temporarily so that I could keep an eye on you."

"Why, thanks for your concern," was my sarcastic remark. "I did a perfectly good job of taking care of myself for the last three months, and before I met you…why do I suddenly need a chaperone?"

Jasper didn't respond to the question, so I chose to ignore him, and eat my Pop-Tart. Once I finished, I threw the wrapper in the garbage and asked, "So, are you giving me a ride to school, or am I driving myself?"

"I'm giving you a ride," was all he said. I grabbed my bag and jacket, and headed to the door.

When Jasper didn't move, I felt compelled to remind him that we had to get going. "Are you coming, or not?"

"Yes, Bella, I'm coming," his voice was thick with sarcasm. The drive to the school was silent, but like last night, it was a companionable silence. When we pulled into the parking lot, we got more than a few stares. Everybody knew that the only person in town who owned a shiny, silver Volvo had left three months ago, and wasn't coming back. Everybody also knew that he had left me broken, so when I got out of the car, the whispers started. And then Jasper got out of the car; the whispers stopped for a second then became frantic. I couldn't blame them, either. What was broken Bella Swan doing with Jasper Hale, brother of her ex? We walked towards the school, trying to ignore everybody, and not moving to far away from each other.

When we finally made it to my locker, Jasper asked a completely unexpected question. "Bella, would you mind if we shared a locker?"

This caught me off guard, and I didn't know what to say. I felt a wave of calm wash over me, and suddenly knew what I was supposed to do.

"Why on Earth would you want to share a locker? Wouldn't that just make it harder for you?"

"It would actually make it easier for me. The locker they gave me is on the other side of the school, so if something were to happen, I wouldn't be able to get to you in time without exposing myself."

"Oh, well, then yeah, sure, why not?" I stumbled over my answer. The fact that Jasper cared so much was astounding. But... why did he start caring all of a sudden? Why now? Why him? I pushed those thoughts away. I _was_ grateful for him being here.

I put my bag in my—our—locker, and looked at Jasper's schedule. It seemed eerily familiar. I realized that he had taken the time to register in all of the same courses as me. We headed to the library to get all of his books, and proceeded to put them in our locker. We went to the front of the school, and sat down at the nearest table. The snow was starting to melt so it wasn't too hard to find one that wasn't covered. We talked for a while, always careful to avoid the topic of _him_, and headed to class when the bell rang.

When we got to English, the whispers hadn't died down. It actually seemed as though they had picked up. I looked around, and saw Jessica giving me a confused look. I walked over to where she was sitting, and tried to get a conversation started.

"Hey, Jess. How are you?"

"Why is he here?" _Real smooth, Jess._ "Didn't they all skip town, and vow to never come back, or something?"

"Yes, they left, and no, they didn't vow to never come back, where would you get that from? Jasper just wanted to make sure everything was…alright back here."

"Is it true that he dumped his girlfriend so that he could come back from wherever he was to be with you?"

"Absolutely not! Who told you that?"

"Tyler told me," was her smug response. I looked at her, and decided I didn't feel like responding. Turning on my heel I went back to my desk, and sat down. I looked over at Jasper, and saw a look of concern in his eyes. It reminded me of how Edward would look at me whenever I didn't respond to somebody. I felt the gaping hole in my chest, but it seemed shallower. Usually, I wasn't able to breathe, but this time, it felt like _only_ my heart was gone. My lungs still seemed to be intact. I glanced over at Jasper, and instantly felt relieved. I figured it was just he, trying to calm me down.

*******

The rest of the day went smoothly—well, as smoothly as it could go when you're hanging out with your ex boyfriend's brother in a school full of gossipers. I was able to avoid most people, therefore not getting as many comments as I could have gotten. When I got home, though, I noticed that Jasper seemed to be having a harder time than before his family had left. I continued to watch him in a manner that to me seemed sneaky, but was probably blatantly obvious. I noticed that his jaw was tense, and that his eyes seemed to be withdrawn. "Jasper, I know you're having a hard time, so why don't you go back to see Alice for a while?" I said, knowing that he probably missed her.

"Because you're broken and it's my fault. I'm not leaving until you are healed, and over my brother," he said at length.

"Jasper, it's not your fault that he made you leave. I knew it was coming for a long time. Honestly, why would he want to stay here when he could do something actually worth his time and energy?"

"Bella, my brother is just as bad as you are. All he does is sit in the attic, and mutter things about you to himself. He did try tracking down Victoria, but that didn't work. When he couldn't find her, he came home and sat in the attic. He hasn't moved from that spot—except for one hunting trip that we forced him to go on," his voice was very sincere, but I knew better than to trust the sincerity of a vampire. Look where it had gotten me last time.

"I don't believe you," I was getting angry now. "He said that he didn't love me, that I wasn't good for him. I don't—I can't believe you!" I was so sure of the truth behind _his_ words that I started to scream at Jasper. He moved over to try and comfort me, but I wouldn't let him. I ran up to my room, and started to cry. I locked the door, and fell on my bed, crying myself to sleep.

***

When I woke up, I noticed that it was eerily silent. I looked around my room, and saw Jasper sitting in the rocking chair. I turned my head away, trying not to bring up painful memories again.

"Why are you lying to me, Jasper? You said you wanted to help, but all you're doing is hurting me more," I was starting to feel angry again, but was determined not to let it overtake me.

"I'm not lying to you Bella. Edward is falling apart over this…"

"Jasper, you have to stop trying to make me feel better. Your words aren't true, and we both know it. Just go back to Alice, to your family, and don't come back." I said, cutting him off.

"Fine, I'll go back to Alice," he said. Before I knew what was happening, I was in his arms, and flying out the window. He ran me around to the front of the house, and dropped me in the passenger's seat of the Volvo. Before I could say anything, we were speeding in a northerly direction along the highway.

Something along the lines of 'what the hell?' was all I could think about.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to my beta, Dazzle Me Again, once again for the effort you put into this! I couldn't do this without you! **

**I'm astounded by the response I've gotten for this story!! I do believe it's my best yet! Keep the reviews flowing, guys!!**

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_Previously: __Something along the lines of 'what the hell?' was all I could think about._

_***_

_Chapter 4: Reunion_

I stared out the window, trying to keep calm. But how could I when Jasper was _kidnapping_ me? I hadn't even had time to write Charlie a note before I had left, as if that were enough... Well, at least last time I had run across the country unexpectedly, I had _told_ him. This time, I didn't even know where I was going. Even if I'd had any clue as to our destination, Charlie still didn't know what was going on, and would probably file a missing persons report as soon as he could.

"Jasper, you realize that Charlie will think I've been kidnapped, right?" I asked, still a bit mad.

"I took care of it. I left a note on the dining room table explaining everything. He'll expect you back in a week." Why does that sound familiar? Oh, yes, that had already happened, I only hoped the outcome of this trip was better than the last one.

"What exactly did you tell him?"

"I told him that I was taking you to go and straighten things out with my brother. He knows that you're with me, and that you're safe—well, as safe as you can possibly be in a house full of vampires—but he doesn't know that, of course."

I glared at him, but suddenly felt very tired—I didn't know if it was Jasper's doing, or if I was really tired. I tried to keep my heavy eyelids open, but it wouldn't work; it wasn't me, he was doing this on purpose. I started to fall asleep, and knew that the battle was lost. I attempted to glare one last time, but couldn't keep focused enough.

I awoke to the sound of a door opening. I stirred, and felt a pair of cold, hard arms hold me. I looked up, and saw Jasper's face. I immediately wanted down. I started to struggle, but suddenly, Alice was standing beside me. "I wouldn't struggle if I were you. If you do, you'll fall, and hit your head on the ice."

I stopped struggling, and let Jasper put me down. I looked at my surroundings and saw Alice. I hugged her quickly as soon as I was on my feet. Oh, I had missed her so much! After that, Jasper and Alice led me to the house; I walked quickly, stumbling over my feet as I went.

I saw a beautiful, familiar blond female standing by the door. Rosalie glared at me, then turned on her heel, and stormed off. Even though I wouldn't admit it, I was glad she was here, too. I walked a bit further into the house, and saw Emmett standing in the shadows. I smiled apprehensively at him, and was answered with a huge grin. My face broke out in a huge smile, and I walked over to him.

"Hey," I said shyly. He grabbed me, and wrapped his arms around me in a huge hug.

"You don't know how much I've missed you, Bella," he said softly.

"Emmett…seriously, I can't… breathe…" I gasped. He let go of me. "I missed you, too." He then led me to the living room, where the rest of the Cullen family was assembled, along with five other honey-eyed vampires, one of whom I recognised from the previous spring—not the most pleasant memory.

"Bella, this is Tanya, Kate, Irina, Eleazar, and, of course, Laurent," Carlisle said from behind me. I turned around, and felt a huge grin take over my face. I wrapped my arms around Carlisle, and felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. I felt his arms wrap around me apprehensively, and one of his hands stroking my hair. I looked at him, and he smiled tentatively back at me. I turned around, and saw the other five vampires looking away, trying not to intrude on the exchange.

"Where's Esme?" I asked excitedly.

"She's out hunting right now. Alice was kind enough to inform us that Jasper would be bringing you here, and she thought it would be a good idea to feed before coming in contact with you." His answer made sense. I knew that they wouldn't have to feed as often now that there wasn't a human around constantly.

"Everybody, this is the Bella that we've told you about," Alice said, as she appeared behind us. I was greeted with a round of 'hi's' and 'hello's'. I smiled at them, and went to go explore the house. I roamed the house, in search of the washroom, and the kitchen—just _that_, I wasn't looking for someone. Nope, I was not—those would be the two most important places for me to locate. I felt a presence behind me, and turned to see Jasper standing there.

"Would you like some help? You're confused and curious. It's quite the…odd sensation, feeling multiple emotions from one person at once…" he trailed off, and stared at me intensively.

"Um, yeah, sure, why not? I need to find the bathroom, and the kitchen. And where am I going to sleep?" I asked curiously.

Jasper showed me the lay of the house, and brought me the bag that he had packed for me the night before. He explained that Alice had called saying that I needed to get up to Denali. The fact that I had frustrated him was just the icing on the cake. He would have brought me up here soon enough anyways.

"Well, why didn't you just ask? If you had said something that morning, I would have packed up, and came with you."

"I'd like to believe that you would have, Bella, but we both know that you would have been too upset to make the trip. Trust me." I stared at him for a moment, and reluctantly agreed. There was no doubt that in my mind that I would have broken down again, and likely cry myself to sleep. This ended up happening almost every day anyway.

"Whatever. Where can I get some food? I'm starved," I said, trying to break up the tension. Jasper chuckled, and led me to the kitchen.

"Alice remembered that you needed to eat _human_ food, so she went to the grocery store. We've got everything from chicken and rice, to pizza, and spaghetti. What would you like?"

"Hmm, I think some Kraft Dinner would be sufficient," I said.

Jasper went to the cupboard, and pulled out the KD. He turned on a pot of water to boil, and sat down at the table with me. "You know, I could have done it myself," I joked. He chuckled, sensing the lightness that was coming form me.

"I could dump the water, and put the noodles back in the cupboard, if you want..." he said, laughing. I laughed once, and then fell quiet.

"You know, you're awfully cheery for somebody that is in a house of vampires, and has been depressive for the past few months," he said without meeting my eyes.

"Haven't I always been calm when around you guys?" I asked. He nodded, and sighed. A door opened, and I hear somebody start to shuffle in. Then the shuffling stopped. I heard a very recognisable voice say a few choice words. I stiffened, knowing what was about to happen next.

Suddenly, _he _was standing right in front of me. Edward stood there, unmoving, just staring at me. It was almost as if he thought he was hallucinating. He reached out his hand to lightly touch my face. I blacked out when his skin made contact with mine.

***


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you soooooo much Dazzle! I know I've thanked you so many times now, but I really do appreciate your help!!

**Yah, I know, this is posted at the same time as chapter 4. The only thing I can say to you now is that the updates will probably be less frequent. I had the first 5 written already, and sent them all to Dazzle at the same time. Chapter 6 is in progress, and chapter 7 is yet to be born. Please be patient with me. **

_***_

_Previously: __I blacked out when his skin made contact with mine._

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Chapter 5: Rejection

I had been in Denali for three days now. In that time, I had only seen _him_ a total of twice, neither of which had been pleasant occasions. Jasper told me that until I had talked to him about what had happened, I wasn't allowed to go home. The way things were going it seemed that I would be here a long time.

It was kind of weird, being in the same house as him and not talking to him... not seeing him. I had missed him more than I could ever explain, but how was I supposed to react when I found out he had lied to me when he said he didn't love me? Who does that, anyway? I didn't know if I hated him, or still loved him.

***

I was wandering the house, unable to sleep. Everybody had gone out on a much-needed hunting trip, and I was trusted not to burn the house down. I went to the living room, deciding that I wanted to watch some television. There was nothing on, so I contented myself with watching an old _Simpsons_ rerun. I started to doze, but I heard the door open. Ignoring it, but knowing that I had to stay awake now, I continued to stare blankly at the TV. Edward was sitting beside me, his face resembling stone.

"Why aren't you in bed yet?" he asked softly. Hearing his velvet voice so close, so real, and so full of concern made me feel angry.

"Why do you care?" I asked condescendingly.

"Because you need your sleep, you're only human, after all," he seemed to be genuinely concerned, but I just couldn't be sure with him anymore. I had fallen into the trap of his lies before, and it had left me broken. I was determined not to let it happen again.

"Why do you care now? You didn't three months ago. Why does anything that I do concern you?" I said sharply. He looked down.

"Because…because I love you Bella. There hasn't been a single moment in the last three months that I haven't thought of you."

"I'm not in the mood to put up with your crap anymore, Edward. Stop with the lies. _You_ are the one who left. _You_ said that I wasn't good enough. And worst of all, _you_ are the cause of all of Jaspers guilt. That's the only reason I'm here, you know that? He made me come here to talk to _you_. If it wasn't for the fact that he's a bazillion times stronger than I am, I would currently be tucked up in my bed at home. Don't you _ever_ tell me that you love me again. All that leads to is heartbreak. I believed you once, and look where I ended up. I'm only now coming out of the worst of it. For the last three months, I haven't been able to do anything. Anything! I may as well have been dead—everyone was, and still is, worried about me, because I couldn't even care for my own person. And what difference would it make? It's not like you would have cared, anyway."

Suddenly, Edward's lips were on mine. I had no time to react. I sat there frozen for about five seconds. I had missed this—_him_—but I couldn't do this again. I promised myself I wouldn't end up heartbroken. When he finally pulled away, I stood up, and marched past him, down the long cream-coloured hallway, and up the stairs into the bedroom I was currently staying in. I flopped down on the large bed, and wrapped myself in blankets. I knew I would be having nightmares for the next month (or even longer) about this.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard a soft knock at the door. I turned over so I could see who walked in. Alice poked her head into the room. "May I come in?" she asked in her sweet, musical voice.

"Whatever, I no longer care," was my oh-so-cheery response. She made her way over to where I was laying, and sat down beside me.

"I told him not to do that," was all she said to me. I looked at her, rememorizing her perfectly sculpted face. My eyes started to water, and I buried my face in the crimson blankets surrounding me. I felt a small, cold hand on my back. We sat like this for some time.

"I'm sorry Alice. I… I just can't help it. I guess it's just hard to believe that he ever actually loved me. I mean… I know that he meant it for a while, but now, it's just impossible for me to believe. He left me, and then Jasper makes me come here, and he kisses me, expecting everything to be better. The problem is I don't know if I can ever forgive him."

"It's okay Bella. You'll both mend this. Believe me, I know," she said, tapping the side of her head, and winking at me. I chuckled, knowing that things would eventually get better. If there was one thing that I had learned in that short time back in Forks, it was to never bet against Alice.


End file.
